Michael Shrieve

Bands Santana, Automatic Man, Stomu Yamashta's Go
Date of Birth July 6, 1949
Influences Santana, Klaus Shulze
Quote“Some drummers only have chops, but Michael Shrieve has vision. Michael is like a box of crayons; he has all the colors.” —Carlos Santana

Bio

Michael Shrieve started his luminous career as the drummer for Santana and holds the distinction of being the youngest musician at Woodstock. From that historic launching pad, he has carved out an innovative career as a rock drummer, percussionist, and progressive-electronic composer.

Born July 6, 1949 in San Francisco, California, Shrieve was propelled into ’60s pop culture as a mere 19-year-old. His extended solo halfway through Santana’s epic “Soul Sacrifice” brought him instant fame, and rock fans all over witnessed the birth of a star. Although he was never able to top the few minutes of stardom he enjoyed at Woodstock, he nonetheless went on to create a distinguished career both as a solo artist and sideman.

After leaving Santana in 1976, Shrieve gained worldwide acclaim for his adventurous experimentation with a top-notch artist roster, including The Rolling Stones, George Harrison, Pete Townshend, and Steve Winwood, as well as such seasoned musical luminaries as John Mclaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Zakir Hussain, and Bill Frisell.

Few drummers have collaborated with such longevity and sophistication alongside artists in such diverse genres as rock, jazz, electronic, and world music. Shrieve is regarded for his groundbreaking use of electronic percussion when it was a relatively new medium in the ’70s.

Since then he’s been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame (1998) and recorded a string of jazzy solo albums. In 2006 he released a musical collaboration titled Drums Of Compassion, which he composed and produced. It brings together some of the world’s most respected percussionists and musicians, like Obo Addy, Jack DeJohnette, and Zakir Hussain.

—Salman Haqqi